It is unclear what caused the shift, and whether the confidence in Romney's foreign policy chops is just a temporary bump — aided by his strong showing during the first debate — or represents a lasting trend.

The New York Times points out that Obama and Romney are in sharp contrast on the issue of a rising China — something pollsters have noticed is important to Americans.

A separate poll taken just before the second debate showed that Romney leads Obama 49 to 40 on dealing with Chinese trade policies, said Businessweek.

Romney vowed that he would label China a "currency manipulator," a move that economists have said would have no real impact.